With the development trend of ultra-large-scale integrated circuit in semiconductor manufacturing, critical dimensions of the integrated circuit continues to decrease. Correspondingly, more packaging requirements of the integrated circuit are needed. Based on a two-dimensional packaging within the X-Y plane of the multichip-module (MCM), a three-dimensional (3D) packaging technique stacked along the Z direction has been fully developed. The packaging structure with 3D packaging technique has a higher device density.
A three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) is formed by using the advanced chip stacking technique. For example, an integrated circuit having a three-dimensional structure is formed by stacking the chips with different functions. Compared to the integrated circuit with a two-dimensional structure, the chip stacking technique of the three-dimensional integrated circuit can not only shorten the signal transmission path of the three-dimensional integrated circuit, but also accelerate the operating speed of the three-dimensional integrated circuit. Thus, many demands, such as higher performance, smaller size, lower power consumption, and more functions, of the semiconductor device can be satisfied.
According to different connection methods between chips in the three-dimensional integrated circuit, techniques interconnecting stacked chips can be divided into three types: a metal wire bonding packaging, a flip-chip bonding packaging, and a through silicon via (TSV) packaging. Among them, the TSV packaging technology has many advantages such as higher density of chips stacked in the three-dimensional directions, shorter interconnection lines between chips, smaller size, higher chip speed, and lower power consumption, etc., and, therefore, has become the most common method to achieve interconnection between the stacked chips in the three-dimensional integrated circuit. However, the processes of the existing packaging technology need to be simplified.
The disclosed device structures and methods are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.